Chapter 114: My Cousins

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: My Cousins

By the time Xi Yunxui left the staff quarters, King C, Hui, and Biyu were following close behind her.

The three companions attracted her attention for entirely different reasons. King C trotted along with his usual carefree attitude, occasionally turning his head to inspect their surroundings as though he were searching for something worth eating. Hui walked beside Biyu, her small hand occasionally reaching for the older-looking girl’s sleeve whenever something caught her attention, while Biyu maintained a composed expression that made her seem far more mature than her apparent age.

Xi Yunxui glanced at them as they approached the main residence.

’At least they seem to be getting along.’

She had initially worried that keeping them confined to her room would leave them restless, especially King C, whose ability to get into trouble seemed to grow in proportion to the amount of time he spent without food or entertainment. Allowing them to move around the Huo residence would give them more freedom, provided they remembered her warning not to cause any trouble.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long to discover whether they would attract attention.

Several servants were gathered outside the staff quarters, chatting as they went about their duties. The moment they noticed Xi Yunxui approaching with two unfamiliar little girls and a goat, their conversation gradually died away.

They knew Xi Yunxui well enough. She had worked in the Huo residence for some time, and her pleasant appearance and approachable personality had made her familiar to many of the servants.

They also knew King C.

The troublesome creature had become a fairly common sight around Xi Yunxui, and although his behaviour could be exasperating, most of the servants had grown accustomed to seeing him wander about the residence.

However, the two little girls accompanying them were entirely unfamiliar.

One had a delicate, pretty face framed by glossy black hair, while the other possessed an equally adorable appearance, with large, bright eyes and dark hair that suited her youthful features. Neither resembled the chicken-like creature or the little tiger-like girl the servants might have expected to see around Xi Yunxui.

A young female servant who was slightly older than Xi Yunxui was the first to approach.

"Yunxui, wait a moment!" she called, hurrying over with another maid beside her. Her gaze shifted curiously between Hui and Biyu. "Who are these two little girls? I’ve never seen them before."

The second maid nodded enthusiastically.

"That’s right! Where did they come from? They’re so cute!"

Xi Yunxui paused.

For a fleeting moment, she considered how she was supposed to explain the sudden appearance of two children who had previously been a chicken and a tiger-like creature. Fortunately, she had already prepared an explanation for precisely this situation.

She scratched the back of her head, putting on an awkward smile.

"Ah, they’re my cousins. Their parents had to travel for a while, so they asked me to look after them."

The two maids exchanged glances before immediately accepting the explanation.

"Oh, so they’re family!"

"That makes sense!" the first maid exclaimed, looking at Xi Yunxui before turning her attention to the girls again. "No wonder they’re so pretty. Look at their little faces!"

The second maid clasped her hands together, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Honestly, does beauty run in your family? Yunxui, you’re already so beautiful, and now these two little girls have appeared! How can one family have so many pretty faces?"

Xi Yunxui nearly laughed at the exaggeration, but she merely smiled.

"You’re flattering us."

"I’m not!" the maid protested. "Look at them!"

As though she had been waiting for an opportunity to join the conversation, Biyu stepped forward slightly. Her expression remained polite, and she inclined her head toward the two women.

"Thank you very much for your compliments, beautiful sisters."

Her voice was clear and sweet, with that peculiar warmth and faintly ethereal quality Xi Yunxui had noticed ever since her transformation. Although she looked like a little girl, the calm way she spoke gave her words a surprising degree of composure.

The two maids froze.

Then they exchanged another look.

"Oh, my goodness!"

"Did you hear that? She even speaks so politely!"

The first maid pressed a hand against her chest, looking as though Biyu had just captured her heart with a single sentence.

"She’s adorable! And so well-mannered!"

The second maid bent slightly to bring herself closer to Biyu’s height, her face bright with delight.

"Little girl, you’re too sweet! What’s your name?"

"Biyu," the girl replied with a pleasant smile.

"Biyu! What a lovely name!"

While the two maids continued showering Biyu with compliments, Hui stood beside her, looking between the adults with wide, curious eyes. She didn’t appear particularly interested in joining their conversation, but she seemed pleased that Biyu was receiving so much attention.

Xi Yunxui watched the scene with amusement.

’She’s certainly good at winning people over.’

Considering that Biyu had only recently acquired her human form, she was adapting remarkably well. She showed neither nervousness nor discomfort around strangers, and her natural composure made it easy for people to accept her as an ordinary child.

The servants, for their part, seemed completely charmed.

After a little more conversation, the two maids finally allowed them to continue on their way, although not before reminding Xi Yunxui to bring her little cousins around again.

Xi Yunxui agreed with a smile before leading her companions toward the main residence.

As they approached the entrance, however, she remembered that she would soon be occupied with preparing dinner. She stopped and turned to face the two girls and the goat.

"All right, you three. I need to go to the kitchen and start cooking, so you can play around the residence for a while."

Hui’s eyes brightened immediately, but Xi Yunxui raised a finger before the little girl could become too excited.

"However, you must remember what I told you earlier. You can explore the garden or walk around the areas where you’re allowed to go, but don’t wander somewhere unfamiliar, and absolutely no causing trouble. Understand?"

King C immediately lifted his head.

"Why are you looking at me when you say that? I’ve already promised to behave!"

Xi Yunxui gave him a look.

"And I’m reminding you because I know you."

King C snorted, visibly offended by what he considered an unreasonable lack of trust.

"I said I would behave, didn’t I?"

"Yes, yes." Xi Yunxui waved a hand dismissively, unable to suppress a small laugh. "Just remember your promise."

She turned toward Biyu, whose expression remained calm.

"Please keep an eye on them for me. Since you’re the most composed of the three, I trust you to make sure nobody gets into trouble."

Biyu nodded.

"Don’t worry, Master. I’ll look after them. If anything happens, I’ll contact you through our mental connection."

Xi Yunxui’s smile faltered slightly.

’Our mental connection?’

She looked at Biyu, who appeared to regard the matter as perfectly ordinary.

’Wait a minute. We can communicate telepathically now?’

Before she could ask aloud, the system’s familiar voice sounded in her mind.

[Host, Biyu has completed her transformation and awakened a portion of her abilities. As your assigned protector, she can now communicate with you through a mental connection.]

Xi Yunxui blinked.

’So I can hear her thoughts, or she can speak directly into my mind?’

[She can communicate with you mentally. This does not necessarily mean that you can freely hear all her thoughts.]

Xi Yunxui considered that distinction.

’All right. That’s good to know.’

She had already become accustomed to communicating with Jianshan through her spiritual consciousness, and her connection with King C had also allowed them to exchange messages without speaking aloud. Still, the thought of Biyu gaining the same ability was another reminder that her companions were far more extraordinary than their appearances suggested.

Xi Yunxui looked at Biyu again and gave her a small smile.

"All right, I’ll leave them in your hands."

"Of course."

The answer was delivered with such confidence that Xi Yunxui felt a little more reassured.

She turned toward King C, who was looking at her with an expression of exaggerated innocence.

"What?" he demanded before she could say anything. "I’ve already promised to behave!"

Xi Yunxui couldn’t help laughing.

"Fine, fine. I won’t say anything else."

She reached out and gently ruffled Hui’s hair, smoothing down the dark strands that had fallen across the little girl’s forehead.

"Hui, I’ll be right back. Once I’m finished cooking, we’ll all have dinner together, all right?"

At the mention of dinner, Hui’s eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Of course."

The little girl immediately nodded, her earlier curiosity giving way to excitement.

"All right, Sister! I’ll wait!"

Xi Yunxui smiled at her enthusiasm before giving Biyu one last look.

"Take care of them."

"I will."

With that settled, Xi Yunxui turned and entered the main residence, leaving Biyu to lead Hui and King C away toward the garden.

Hui followed Biyu with light, eager steps, occasionally looking back in Xi Yunxui’s direction before disappearing around the path. King C trotted behind them, his attention already wandering toward the possibility of finding something delicious along the way.

Xi Yunxui watched them leave for a moment, feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction.

At least they were getting along, and she could finally stop worrying about keeping them hidden in her room.

With her companions taken care of, she turned her attention to the kitchen.

Unfortunately, there was one person she had completely forgotten about.

---

The greenhouse was peaceful, its glass walls allowing the afternoon sunlight to filter through the lush greenery. The air carried the faint fragrance of flowers, and the gentle rustling of leaves created an atmosphere that was almost too relaxing.

Huo Jingchen sat in the same place where he had been waiting earlier, his phone resting in one hand.

He glanced at the screen.

No answer.

His gaze settled on Xi Yunxui’s name in the call history before he tried calling her again. The phone rang for several moments, but nobody picked up.

Huo Jingchen lowered the device and leaned back in his seat.

Had she forgotten about him?

The thought should have annoyed him. After all, he had been the one to invite her to accompany him to the greenhouse, and although she had left in a hurry after receiving a message from King C, she had promised to return—or at least given the impression that she would explain herself later.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to feel genuinely angry.

Instead, a faint, helpless smile touched his lips.

It was entirely possible that Xi Yunxui had simply forgotten.

He had begun to realise that, despite her capable and thoughtful nature, she could be surprisingly forgetful whenever something else captured her attention. She might remember the smallest details about a task she was determined to complete, yet completely lose track of an earlier conversation if something unexpected came up.

Considering the urgency with which she had rushed away, Huo Jingchen suspected that whatever she had gone to deal with had occupied her mind completely.

He glanced toward the greenhouse entrance.

"Have you really forgotten that you left me here?" he murmured.

There was no one around to answer him.

Huo Jingchen shook his head, a trace of amusement lingering in his eyes as he slipped his phone into his pocket.

He could have gone looking for her, but he decided against it for the moment. If she had something important to attend to, he didn’t want to interrupt her. Besides, he would see her again sooner or later.

Still, as he stood and looked toward the entrance, he couldn’t help wondering whether she would remember him before the day was over.

---

Meanwhile, Xi Yunxui arrived at the kitchen, completely unaware that Huo Jingchen was still waiting in the greenhouse.

The moment she stepped inside, the familiar warmth of the kitchen greeted her. Several chefs and kitchen assistants were already busy preparing ingredients for the evening meal, their movements practised and efficient as they worked around the counters.

The kitchen was considerably livelier than the staff quarters, filled with the sounds of chopping vegetables, running water, and occasional exchanges between the cooks.

Xi Yunxui greeted everyone as she entered.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

A few of the kitchen assistants looked up and returned her greeting. One of them immediately moved aside to give her room, while another offered her a friendly smile.

The most enthusiastic reaction, however, came from Chef Zhao.

The head chef, a man in his late thirties with years of experience in professional kitchens, had been inspecting a tray of ingredients when he heard Xi Yunxui’s voice. He turned toward the entrance, and his eyes lit up almost immediately.

"Yunxui! You’re finally here!"

Xi Yunxui paused, slightly surprised by his enthusiasm.

"Good afternoon, Chef Zhao."

Chef Zhao wiped his hands on a clean towel before approaching her. He appeared to have something on his mind, and the expression on his face was unusually eager for a man who generally carried himself with the confidence of someone who had spent years overseeing a professional kitchen.

"Yunxui," he began, hesitating for a moment, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

He glanced toward the other chefs before looking back at her.

"This time, would you mind if I took notes while you cooked?"

Xi Yunxui stared at him.

"Notes?"

"Yes."

She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.

"Of course, that’s fine, but what exactly do you want to take notes on?"

At that question, Chef Zhao’s expression became a little awkward.

For a man of his age and professional standing, he suddenly looked almost embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat, apparently struggling to find the right words.

"It’s just that..." He paused, then glanced at the counters behind him. "Your cooking methods are different from ours."

Xi Yunxui waited for him to continue.

Chef Zhao drew a breath and finally explained, "I’ve watched you cook several times, and I’ve noticed that you approach certain ingredients differently. Sometimes you prepare them in an order that isn’t what we would normally do, and you seem to have your own way of controlling the heat and combining the seasonings."

He looked at her with genuine curiosity.

"At first, I thought you were simply experimenting, but the results have been consistently excellent. The flavours are balanced, the texture is right, and the finished dishes have a distinct quality that I haven’t been able to reproduce simply by following the usual methods."

His expression grew more earnest as he spoke.

"I’m the head chef here, and I believe there’s always something new to learn. If you’re willing to let me observe your process and take notes, I’d be very grateful."

For a moment, Xi Yunxui didn’t know what to say.

She had never expected Chef Zhao to approach her so formally over her cooking methods. To her, most of what she did was simply instinctive. She had learned to make the most of limited ingredients in her previous life, adjusting seasonings and techniques according to what she had available. After transmigrating, she had continued relying on those habits, occasionally modifying her methods to suit the ingredients in this world.

She hadn’t considered that her approach might be particularly unusual to a professional chef.

Looking at Chef Zhao’s earnest expression, she realised that he wasn’t teasing her or trying to flatter her. He genuinely wanted to learn.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"There’s no need to be so formal, Chef Zhao. If you want to take notes, go ahead. I don’t mind."

Chef Zhao’s face brightened.

"Really?"

"Of course. I’m only cooking dinner. It’s not as though I’m doing anything that needs to be kept secret."

He let out a relieved laugh, his earlier embarrassment giving way to obvious delight.

"Thank you, Yunxui! I promise I won’t get in your way."

Xi Yunxui waved away his thanks.

"All right, all right. But before you start taking notes, let me see what ingredients we have available. Madam Huo wants dinner for the whole family, so we should make sure there’s enough for everyone."

"Of course!" Chef Zhao replied immediately. "I’ve already arranged most of the ingredients. Come and have a look."

He led her toward the preparation counters, where several baskets of fresh vegetables, neatly cut pieces of meat, and an assortment of seasonings had been laid out.

Xi Yunxui began examining the ingredients, her attention shifting naturally from one item to the next as she considered what she could prepare for the evening meal.

Behind her, Chef Zhao hurried to retrieve a notebook.

The other kitchen staff exchanged amused glances at his enthusiasm, but nobody interrupted him. They had all seen the results of Xi Yunxui’s cooking, and although they were curious about her methods as well, Chef Zhao was the one who had finally gathered the courage to ask her directly.

As Xi Yunxui began planning the menu, the kitchen gradually settled into a rhythm around her.

She had no idea that Huo Jingchen was still waiting for her elsewhere in the residence, nor did she realise that her forgotten greenhouse meeting might become a problem later.

For now, her attention was entirely on the ingredients before her.

After all, the Huo family was expecting dinner, and she intended to make it a good one.